There are times when it feels that LGBTQ2S+ travellers are coveted by the hospitality industry, because of that pink-dollar stereotype: dual income, no kids. But queers travel at all price points. Some of us haul our backpacks to the hostel on public transit, while some of us won’t stand for anything less than luxury.
Mikey Tooley has been making videos about affordable LGBTQ+ travel on TikTok’s The Mikey Tooley Tour. Originally from Upstate New York, in the last few years he’s lived in Panama, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and Austin, Texas, and he’s found many creative ways to stretch his budget.
We asked Tooley, who identifies as nonbinary, how he does what he does on a limited budget.
Do you think there’s a perception that LGBTQ2S+ travellers are big spenders?
That was one of my takeaways from living in Puerto Vallarta as a broke bitch. From a local standpoint, in tourist towns, they often view queer people, especially cis gay men, as having a lot of money, expecting them to stay at fancy hotels and go to fancy dinners. Which I think is just a small group of queer people. It’s not accurate to say that we’re all big spenders.
Do you think we’ve traditionally been viewed as a captive market by places that were seen as safe when the rest of the world was perceived as not so safe, and that people will pay for that confidence?
Safety is always a concern, but it depends which section of the queer community we’re talking about. If you’re cis, straight-passing, then it’s not about safety; it’s about being bougie. For new travellers or people who are not hetero- or cis-passing, it’s definitely about safety. You might want to spend more money to ensure your accommodations are safe, because when you spend more money, you get that tourist pass—we don’t really care that you’re queer if you’re spending a shitload of money with us. There are also guys who are travelling to get laid, and they’ll pay extra for the possibility of having sex with a hot guy. I don’t think that’s wrong, but for other queers, it’s more about exploring. If you want to explore, go explore. Living in Vallarta, I had the best of both worlds—it was literally queer heaven. They have an amazing nightlife scene and food scene, but during the day you can just be a beach bum. I wore jeans maybe twice in the year and a half I was there. Speedos, board shorts if I was going surfing, jean cutoffs and a crop top to go out at night.
What are some of your strategies for staying on a tight budget?
I am definitely a big budget-accommodation person. I do my research on a place, really doing a deep dive into reviews because sometimes it’s a great price, but at what cost?
I try to keep my flight dates flexible and travel when it’s cheapest. I am a shoulder-season queen. I will travel during the rainy season if it’s more affordable in the long run. I will ball out occasionally, but I won’t go to fancy dinners all the time. If I can take myself on an excursion rather than paying a tour company, I will. When my friends travel to visit me, they’ll have the mindset, “I’m on vacation, I’m here to spend money.” I’m spending more time, so I need to make the money last longer. There are destinations on my list that are more expensive, and I’m going to make them happen, but I try to balance it out. You know, if I take a bus or walk, then I can afford to eat at a nice restaurant.
How far away from where you want to be would you stay to save money? Do you have a formula? Would you walk for a half hour, an hour? Take a bus? How much hassle will you put up with?
I take the bus all the time. I take public transportation because it’s so much cheaper. I’ll look for a place with a kitchen so I can go to a local market and cook my own food. Honestly, in the U.S., places like Miami can be very expensive, and with the budget-friendly options that I can afford, the reviews are just so— Ugh, I can’t do that. I will save money by doing free stuff. I’ve met up with guys on the apps, and they’ll be like, “I’ll take you here and here,” and I’m happy I’m getting to see things. I don’t know if that’s fucked up or not, but that was how I did it when I started travelling.
Some people think Puerto Vallarta is expensive, especially compared to the rest of Mexico.
Puerto Vallarta is not expensive. Zona Romántica, where the gays stay, is pricey. But in the rest of the city, you can get tacos for one U.S. dollar. You can find rent for $500 a month, and your utility bill is literally $12. Most of the excursions I did, I took myself without paying for someone to take me. Shopping at the local markets is not expensive. I understand the desirability of staying in Zona Romántica, Centro or 5 de Diciembre, but you’re paying more than you need to be paying. I lived in Centro when I first moved there, and I was walking distance from anything I wanted to do—I was just blocks from the beach. But then I moved to a neighbourhood where more locals lived and everything was more affordable, even though I had to go farther to do things.
Is there a destination that surprised you by how expensive it was?
There’s a tiny town up the bay from PV, San Pancho. It felt really undiscovered, and everything shut down by 10 p.m. I couldn’t understand why it was so expensive.
And a place where you were surprised about how good the bang for the buck is?
I was blown away at how affordable Guatemala is. I could live there for such a small amount of money. I’ve travelled all over Latin America, but because Guatemala is so Indigenous, it was different from any place I’ve seen before. It’s no secret that I’m a beach girlie, so it was my first time going up into a mountainous area. It was so high it was cold. But I loved how different it was. At first I was nervous, because I fell prey to fear mongering online about it not being inclusive of queer people, but I met a ton of queer people there.
How do you explore nightlife on a budget?
I’m actually in recovery—I don’t drink, so the most I’m spending is the cover charge, if there’s a cover charge, and then I’ll drink Red Bull or water or soda. Going out isn’t expensive for me. I still love going to clubs. I’ve been going to clubs since I was 14 years old, and I’ve worked in nightlife. I love dancing. It’s a great way to meet locals.
What are your key pieces of advice to travellers who want to spend less?
Lower your standards. Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. It’s not all going to be glamorous. When booking accommodations, ask yourself, “How much time am I actually going to be spending in this room? Do I want to go out and do a bunch of cool shit instead?”
Have you ever booked a cheap place and regretted it?
I had a lover in Puerto Rico, and one of my friends came down to meet me there. Things weren’t going as planned, so we booked this Airbnb at the last minute because it was super cheap. I’m pretty sure someone got shot in that Airbnb. It was that awful. Once we got there, we read the reviews, and they were so bad. I thought, “As long as we don’t get bed bugs.” Luckily it was just one night. The lesson was, always take your time and read the reviews.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
